Traction-engine



No. 6l4,9l8.

(N0 Model.)

Patented Nov. 29, I898. A. F. WITTENMYER.

TRACTION ENGINE.

(Application filed Mar. 8, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 6I4,9|8. Patented Nov. 29, I898.

' A. F. WITTENMYER.

TRACTION ENGINE. (Application filed Mar. 8, 1898.)

2 $heets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

gig. 2.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFF-ion.

ALBERT F. W'ITTENMYER, OF EMISON, INDIANA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,918, dated November 29, 1898.

A li ti fil d March 8, 1898- Serial No. 678,129. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. WITTEN- MYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Emison, in the county of Knox and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven= tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to improvements in traction-engines; and the object is to simplify and improve the construction and increase the efficiency of the device.

To this end the-invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the device, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings show my invention in the best form now known to me; but many changes in the details might be made within the skill of a good mechanic without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved traction-engine. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional detail. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line of the front axle. Fig. 4 is a Vertical section through the front axle.

1 denotes the boiler, 2 2 the rear wheels, and 3 and 4 the front Wheels, the hubs 5 and 6 of which are loosely journaled on the spindles 7 and 8 of the front axle 9, which is solid for its entire length. It is formed with a central square section 10, cylindrical journals 12 12, one on each side of the square section 10, and square sections 13 and 14, arranged between the journals 12 12 and. the spindles '7 and 8. The central section carries a fixed pinion 15, and 16 and 17 denote clutchsleeves sliding longitudinally on the square sections 13 and 14, with their clutch-faces normally in engagement with the corresponding clutches 15 and 16 on the hubs 5 and 6.

17' represents a vertical rectangular yoke formed with a central sphere or ball 11 on its upper end, which has a bearing in the spherical socket 18 in the front end of the boiler, and its parallel arms are formed with alined bearing-boxes 19 and 20, which encompass the journals 12 12, while the lower end of said yoke terminates in a central stud 21, on which is mounted the friction-roller 22, which has a bearing in the transverse slot 23, formed in the forward end of the shoe 24, extending horizontally from the lower end of the boiler, and as the yoke has a lateral pendulating movement in the bearing-socket 18 it permits the front axle to oscillate laterally to conform to any inequalities of the ground the engine is traveling over.

I have not shown the steering-gear, as I make no claim thereto and as any suitable steering-gear may be adapted to it.

The clutches 16 and 17 are each formed with an annular groove to receive a strap 26, formed with oppositely-disposed radial arms to receive the outer ends of the parallel straps 2'7 27, the inner ends of which are fixed to the blocks 28 29, the block 28 being hinged to the contiguous end of a second block 30, which in turn is hinged or pivoted to the contiguous side of the yoke, and the block 29 is similarly connected to the opposite side of the yoke, as shown.

31 32 denote rods extending from the blocks 28 29 to bell-crank levers fulcrumed on opposite sides of the front end of the boiler, and from these bell-crank levers hand-rods 33 34 extend rearwardly to within reach of the engineer for conveniently releasing one or the other of the clutches, as may be necessary when turning corners or otherwise changing the direction of the line of travel.

35 represents what I term a female gearwheel, fixed on a driving-shaft 36, j ournaled in brackets fixed beneath the forward end of the boiler. This gear-wheel 35 meshes with the pinion 15 on the front axle, and, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, the teeth on the female wheel are concave in shape, so as to remain in mesh with the correspondingly convex=shaped teeth 011 the pinion while the guidingaxle is presenting said pinion at an angle to said female gear-wheel, whether by reason of said axle being adjusted horizontally, as in turning curves, or vertically, as in traveling over uneven ground.

The driving-shaft 36 may be connected in any suitable manner with the engine and it may also carry sprocket-Wheels from which sprocket-chains pass 011 each side of the boiler to corresponding sprocket-wheels formed on the inner faces of the hubs of the rear carrying-wheels 2 2.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. The combination in a traction-engine, of the boiler, provided at its forward end with a spherical bearing-socket 18, the shoe 24 fixed to said boiler and having a transverse slot 23, the vertical yoke 17 formed at its upper end with a spherical journal 11 and at its lower end with a central stud 21, the axle 9 journaled in said yoke, the carrying-Wheels ALBERT F. ITTENMYER.

Vitnesses:

MANSFIELD GEE, FRED J. 'loWNsLEY. 

